Size Doesn't Matter
by yin13147
Summary: AU. There are two types of humans: the Forte who are life-sized and the Rene who are as small as a thumb. For reasons unknown, they're not allowed to interact. IchiHitsu
1. Danger

**Disclaimer: Bleach isn't mine, but I'm upset that the anime of Bleach is over. The bright side is that the manga is still ongoing, though I'll miss seeing it in motion and with voices. :(  
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><p>It was a quiet day in Miniterra, the land of the Renes. Adults would go to work, children would go to school, mothers would stay in their house to do the chores and watch their babies, and it's peaceful in the thirteen villages of their world.<p>

But meanwhile, in the Borderline which connects them to the world of the Fortes, two people are crossing it. The Borderline is already considered a forbidden place.

"Toshiro-kun! Hey, wait!" Inoue called, trying to catch up with the said boy who is walking at a fast pace. He ignored her and continued to walk forward, seeing a small hole that would be his door to the other side.

"Toshiro-kun! You know that it's forbidden to go past there. There might be a Forte there! And if you get caught breaking the law, I can't imagine what might happen to you." she panicked, running even faster towards him.

"So tell me, why are we not allowed to interact with the Fortes? Is it because they'll look down on us? All what the teachers said is that we must not talk to them or be seen by them, and yet they never told us why. Whenever we would ask, all what they would say is 'that's just the way it is'. And then, I figured out just a while ago that I don't care and I want to know about them."

He was always the curious and daring boy, but he never did anything as dangerous as this.

The consequences, oh... Inoue dreaded the thought of the consequences of breaking one of the most absolute laws in Miniterra.

Just a little more, and he would be in their world. The thrill filled every part of his body, that his hands reached out for the door but he stopped, his heart beating even faster. That gave his friend enough time to finally catch up.

"Okay... so... can we... just go home... now... pretend that this... never... happened..." she said between pants for she was already out of breath from constantly running. "You go home and act like nothing happened." he stubbornly replied, looking back at her.

"If people ask where I am, just make a good excuse about my whereabouts. And I'll be back, safe and sound." Toshiro added, and before Inoue could try and state her refusal, he already passed through the hole and what he saw before his eyes was something so shocking.

The world around him is possibly even larger than Miniterra, and it looks like his room though it's more simple in design. Beside him is an open book, a thousand times larger than their books that the words were as large as his head.

"Wow..." He allowed himself to be taken in with the surroundings, that he never knew the world he's forbidden to go to is just much like their own, it's just larger in size.

Then suddenly, the door opened. He quickly hid behind the large picture frame, his eyes peering out to see who it is. He could see a Forte, with the strangest hair color he ever saw (even though it's kind of ironic since he also has a strange hair color), who luckily didn't notice him. For once, he's thankful that he's so small he's almost unnoticeable.

"Are you okay, Rukia?" he heard the man talk, and quietly listened to their conversation as he sat down while continuing to poke his head out. "Not really. I don't think I'll be okay for a while." the girl who accompanied him replied, sitting on the bed with a solemn face.

"Now, can you tell me what happened?"

"Nii-sama... he got ill again. And this time, it's the 'bed-ridden' type of ill. Whenever I would go there and feed him and keep him company in his room, I would remember how much I fear losing him. He's my only... family left..."

Toshiro's face turned into that of pity when he saw the girl cry. Both of them are going through the same thing. He could see the orange head pat Rukia's head in an attempt to comfort her.

He watched the two friends hug silently for consolation, but the moment was interrupted when he heard something squeaking behind him. He could already tell it was a mouse even if he didn't turn his head to see what it is, and risking getting caught, he ran for his life.

He always had a fear of them, even though the Renes and the mice are on good terms. Behind him, the mouse just watched him run, looking confused before retreating. Lucky enough, he was quick to jump in an small can before they heard the small footsteps he made.

"You heard something?" Rukia nodded, "Maybe it's just some rattling pencils or whatever. " The boy shrugged and agreed with her, and Toshiro sighed in his head that they chose to ignore him.

"Well, I have to go home now. Nii-sama is waiting for me. See you later, Ichigo." Now that he is in an enclosed space, their voices sound even louder. But he tried not to make any noise this time, staying as still as a stone.

He took note of the man's name. Ichigo. It sounds cute, but it also sounds heroic in a way. 'One who protects' or rather 'number one' and 'guardian angel'.

He carefully took note of each sound, and heard footsteps coming out, then another with the door closing. No breathing, no moving around on the bed, no sound at all. It was safe for him to come out. He did, but he's still cautious to not make any sound.

"I have to get back. They might get worried." Making his quick escape back in the small hole that led him back to his world of Miniterra, he only had to cross a few paths surrounded with grass and rock before he reached his village. No one looked at him with suspicion, but he quickly received a hug from Inoue. He nearly suffocated from her large chest, but he knows that she's just very concerned about him.

"I told you, I'm back. Safe and sound." he said as she let him go.

"I'm glad. Nobody noticed something's fishy, but please... don't go back out there again." He smiled and nodded, but it's just a lie.

He may have stepped into forbidden ground, but he knows he's missing a lot more. Maybe tonight or tomorrow, he would go back up there and explore, and he may once again meet that Ichigo who is the first Forte he ever saw.

The thrill of doing something risky, he wanted more of that.

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><p><strong>AN: Reviews and constructive criticism are of course very much welcome. But no flames. Everybody hates flames. I hope the first chapter is enjoyable. **


	2. Hide and Sneak

**A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed at chapter 1. What I meant is that the anime of Bleach is really ending, which is officially announced on many anime sites. If you don't believe me, try and see by this coming Tuesday if there will ever be another episode of Bleach. Okay, now here comes the second chapter.**

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><p>Class. Right now, they're speaking about their world and the Fortes world and the rule of that the two must not meet. Toshiro just tapped his pencil on the paper, but not so loudly to capture the teacher's attention.<p>

He rolled his eyes but no one noticed him or they would think he's being disrespectful. He already broke that rule, but only partly, because even though he stepped in their world and saw a Forte (or rather two), they never saw him.

He doesn't feel so worried about getting caught, because it's extremely rare that people would go to the Borderline.

Before when he was born, people his age would go there and test their courage but later on security and the laws became stricter and tighter.

For the whole session he resisted the urge to raise his hand and ask questions about what started the law and so on, for the teachers would reprimand him for his disrespect. He sighed when the bell rang and everybody left, and he quickly checked if Inoue was there.

Toshiro let a small smirk cross his lips when Inoue was nowhere to be seen. It's the perfect opportunity to come back up there without anyone to apprehend him and scold him.

With a text containing an extremely valid excuse that he's going to the library due to his bookish side, he left the village and went to the Borderline.

He thought that the path like usual is, but much to his shock there are two older men there wearing black uniforms.

They're the Guards, the ones who act like the police and keep tight watch in the place they're assigned in.

Knowing that getting spotted by them would get him in trouble, he leaped to a bush where his small stature fits, and makes a small gap in the bundle of branched leaves to see what are they going to do next.

Neither of the two Guards say anything, but they turn their heads to see if there is a sign of anyone. Even from afar, Toshiro could see them clearly like a hawk. When they see nobody, they head back to the village and once they're near the bush, he silently blended into the shadows and waited until they're gone from sight.

"That was close." he sighed, before his feet got off the ground and rushed for the door. Like yesterday, there is still that light and he stepped in, to find the same room of that orange-haired teenager.

He quietly checks if there are any mice out there, or any Forte. But what only greets him is silence, so it's safe like before.

He sees the book from yesterday, and he got the interest to read it. Though it's large, he's strong enough to lift one page of paper without much difficulty.

"Whew, only a few pages to flip till I'm in page one." Good thing it wasn't that far, and he starts to read the first chapter through his head as fast as he can. Unbeknownst to him, as the door is not completely closed and is half-open, Ichigo walked in without making him notice.

The orange haired teen didn't notice him either, and quietly grabbed some clothes on his bed before leaving and going to the bathroom to shower.

_"Lately, his condition is getting worse. I'm not sure if I can even go to school anymore. Even in his state, he does what he can to pay for my tuition. Without him, I..." She broke down once more, after remembering that sad, sickly smile he gave her before she left for school._

_Ichigo's family did everything to cure him of his condition, but to no avail. But they were not to blame. Fate was just plainly cruel._

_"Then, you can come here and live with us." She gasped at his offer, never expecting him to say that. He may have always been the tough boy with a heart of gold, but that... she did not see it coming._

_"That... that... th... I-Ichigo..." she stammered while wiping her tears. "It's okay. Dad and my sisters see you as family, and they also feel very sympathetic about what's going with you. They would also want to take you in." he assured, and she couldn't say anything._

He thought about nothing but that conversation all day long while the water refreshed him, making the heat from the sun outside an illusion.

"_I wish that for once, something good will happen to her. It pains me to see her cry._" he said in his mind.

The sound of running water made Toshiro stop reading and turn his head, but he saw nobody and shrugged his shoulders, then he turned back and continued reading the book full of large letters.

"Whoa, their books here may be really big but this is nice. I've never read this before." Only when Ichigo came back, wearing a shirt and cargo pants while drying his hair with a towel, he noticed something small but definitely not a pest on his desk.

His eyes cocked up in wonder. "_What is that?_" he thought, knowing that making a little sound would scare it away, so he tried not to ask that question out loud. Silent steps. He took one slow step at a time, but he stopped when he was close enough but not too close to make a shadow which would be discovered easily.

"_It's a boy._" he realized, and seemed intrigued by his white hair. He reached out his hand, but quickly pulled back. "_Okay. I don't know if I'm seeing things, if this little boy really does exist, but..._" With a big gulp that wasn't heard, he poked the silverette on the head, just slightly, and that caught his complete attention.

He hoped it was just an imagination, while slowly turning his head to his back to know if he is seen. His eyes become the size of saucers when he saw the same orange-haired teenager from yesterday.

"Um... hello?" Ichigo said with an expression of disbelief, when he looked at him.

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><p><strong>AN: Oh yes, it is a cliffhanger. *giggles maliciously***


	3. Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: Once again, thanks to the reviewers who also liked the story. Reviews are always one the best sources of inspiration for writers, I'm sure you all know that. Now... one, two, and chapter three here we go!**

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><p>"<em>Run, Toshiro! What are you doing? Run!<em>" he thought as he looked at the Forte face to face. But his feet didn't make any move to get away from Ichigo. In a perfectly gradual place, the orange head takes a step forward until he's close enough to the silverette, who finally made on move by stepping back once but no more than that.

"You don't have to worry, little one. I won't hurt you." That wasn't a worry to the white-haired Rene anymore, about him being hurt, because he is called a little one.

He hates it whenever his height is mentioned, that he immediately pointed a finger to him and yelled, "Hey wait right there! Don't you dare call me little, you insensitive jerk!"

Ichigo's eyes got wide with awe that he would say that even if he is_ literally small_. And another thing, he didn't mean to insult him if he's accused of being an insensitive jerk. "Whatever." he sighed. Though he could hear the boy, his voice is still kind of faint thanks to his height.

His fingers land on the edge of the desk. "Go to my hand. So I can hear you better." Toshiro breathed deeply after snapping like that, and quietly walked on the skin that he thought would be hard but it's actually soft and almost as comfortable as a feather pillow.

Walking to the center of the palm, Ichigo slowly lifted him up until his hand is in the same level with his chin. "What... are you?" he asks, his eyes looking closer. "A Rene. Wait... you don't know about us?"

"Excuse me?" he asked. "Oh. So we know about you, but not vice-versa." the other concluded, with a shrug on the shoulders. "Explain to me about what you just said. I don't understand, except that thumb-sized people actually exist."

This time, he's not pissed because that would also describe all the other Renes. "It's a long story, but yes there are also humans who are just one-thousandth your size." he replied, looking back at the hole that served as his door. Ichigo also noticed it.

"Damn pests." This made the Rene turn his head back to Ichigo in a second. "I didn't mean you." he defended quickly. "I know, I know. It's the mice or the rats." He quickly shuddered just by mentioning them, as he would never be able to get over his fear.

"This may sound already common, but can we already introduce ourselves?" Toshiro shrugged and agreed at his question. He may know the orange head's first name, but not his whole name.

Since his hand could only shake the tip of one of his fingers, he only extended one finger instead of his whole hand. "Kurosaki's my last name, Ichigo's my first name." Toshiro placed his whole hand on the fingertip. "Surname's Hitsugaya, first name's Toshiro." he jokingly introduced in the same manner Ichigo did.

The calm moment is interrupted when the doorbell rang. As delicate as he could, he placed his hand just right below the desk and the thumb-sized teen jumped down while making a little squeak. "I'll be back. It may be my sisters or my old man."

Ichigo ran downstairs, and Toshiro sat on the hardwood desk. Wanting there to be a little noise, he sings a song that served as a lullaby for his sick cousin.

**_A man hunts in the forest of green_**  
><strong><em>And catches a sight that must be seen<em>**  
><strong><em>His feet walk and walk until they touch water<em>**  
><strong><em>The lake, he is in, and again his feet trotter<em>**  
><strong><em>A green maiden appears in his sight<em>**  
><strong><em>How beautiful is she, all bathed in white light<em>**  
><strong><em>She sees her, and comes close<em>**  
><strong><em>Her hand extends to him, and says something about a rose<em>**  
><strong><em>In the lake, they laugh and play, sing and dance<em>**  
><strong><em>Then, there blossoms a romance<em>**

There was more, but he stopped halfway for tears are blurring his vision. Hearing marching sounds echoing in the wall hole, he wondered what's it. It didn't sound like mice, or any animals.

The sound of each of the heavy footsteps synced with his heart beating faster and faster from the anticipation that it's not good. Seconds turned slower and he was ready to make a run for it, but the sound stopped and nobody stepped out the hole.

"Are you really sure that there is a runaway? That's impossible. There are no more runaways for so long." he heard. That could mean only one thing. They're Guards, even though he couldn't see them since he's a few meters away from the hole diagonally. "_How could they know? I checked. It can't be._"

Downstairs, Ichigo twisted the brass knob and pulled the door. He quickly got his sister Yuzu who jumped up for a sibling hug, while Karin watched with a little smile. "You look like you have good news, Yuzu."

"Hmm! I borrowed this DVD from Sena-san, and this is the movie that we wanted to watch in the cinemas last week. Let's watch it in your room!" Before he could protest, Yuzu already ran upstairs for she's too excited. Karin calmly followed her and called for Ichigo to come up as well, but he's more worried about something else.

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><p><strong>AN: Cliffhangers, cliffhangers, cliffhangers. I admit it, I have a thing for cliffhangers. XD  
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	4. A Storm's Aftermath

**A/N: I think I'm a little proud that I'm typing this on my iPad. But once again, I give my thanks to all of you.**

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><p>Ichigo quickly did what he has to do: stop them from getting into his room and discover Toshiro. Thanks to his talent with running, it took two seconds until he's already upstairs and he intercepted them from getting in. He tried not to sigh so loudly.<p>

"Let me clean up first before you enter." And inside, Toshrio could see their legs go out of the hole and he has to find a good place to hide. Nothing served as the perfect spot, but he doesn't blame Ichigo for this. The Forte doesn't know anyway.

Luck is on his side as the door opens and they retreat. He mentally smiled, and Ichigo picked him up into his palm before he could say thanks to the orange head. "What's wrong?"

"My sisters want to watch a movie in my room, and you're going to hide in the drawer." Toshiro felt excited that he's going to see more Fortes, "No. Hide me in your pocket. I want to see what you're going to watch."

Well, that's another good plan. He carefully stuffed the Rene into his pocket, and the latter watched as Ichigo opened the door and two girls half his height came in. "Sorry about Yuzu. You know that she's been very patient to watch it. Let's just sit back and enjoy the movie." Ichigo couldn't agree more and sat beside his sisters.

The DVD played on the screen and Toshiro concluded that the one difference between his kind and Ichigo's kind is their size and nothing more. His phone vibrated quietly, and he immediately picked it up while dropping himself back to the base of the pretty shallow pocket.

"Hello?" He quickly pulled the phone away from his ear afterwards. The voice on the other line is so loud that it could break his eardrums, even if he set the volume of his phone to low.

"_WHERE ARE YOU? Don't tell me that you're in the world of the Fortes._"

He frowned and placed it one meter closer to his ear, fearing that she'll yell again. "Yes, I am. And you should have been here as well, but that's impossible in your case." He made the right choice to not listen too close, for she yelled again.

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING, TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA? I heard the Guards going to the Borderline because they think there's a runaway. And of course, who else would go there but you_?"

Toshiro rolled his eyes but he also felt afraid. He almost got caught by the Guards.

"Risky or not, I got to do something that others wouldn't. The Fortes that I'm with are nice people. And whatever you people say there, the Fortes are just like us in so many ways, except that they're way larger than us."

"_Either way you have to go back now. The Guards may be at rest for now but they'll search again._"

"I don't understand, Inoue." He had to tell her about what he found fishy. "I almost got caught by the Guards, and when I went to the Borderline I hid and carefully checked if there was a sign of anyone else. How could they know I was there? I swear I carefully checked.

"_Beats me. But you have to return even if you're having a fun time there. I fear that their search night get even more deeper by tomorrow. You know they don't like runaways._"

He gulped nervously. He just started doing something new, being in someplace new and meeting someone new.

Toshiro doesn't want it to end, but he fears for his life and for his family. He is the only who is taking care of them and he can't bear to leave them behind. This was the worst dilemma he ever faced, but at this situation he has no other choice. He can't continue to be daring and fearless anymore, now that the authority's alarmed.

"Just let me spend a little more time with them." He hung up and cut Inoue off, and immediately turned off the phone. He finished the whole movie but the glee in his eyes were gone.

For now, the good thing is that Ichigo didn't hear the conversation.

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><p>He half-closed his eyes as if he was sleepy, but he's not tired, he's upset. He just met a Forte and now at the same day, he made the choice to not see him or any other Forte when he just startrd having fun.<p>

When the movie ended, he was placed on a safe place on the desk, and didn't know why Ichigo would put him there but he just waited. Beside him is a large stuffed lion toy, which he smiled at.

"Never saw anyone as fluffy as you." He was already touching the soft paws while saying that, and before he could indulge himself by poking and patting the fluffy cotton, the door opened and Ichigo came in with a very small plate full of something, something which looked delicious.

"Help yourself." Ichigo passed the plate to him, and he gorged himself on the cake crumbs that tasted like heaven. He already finished them all in a minute due to his odd gluttony, but it also made him cough to ease his gullet. "Horrible?"

"It's actually one of the best I've eaten so far. Where did you get the plate? From your sisters' dollhouse?" he guessed, licking the last bits of cake off his mouth. "Exactly. It actually belongs to Yuzu. Karin is more on sports than on dolls."

"Who is who?" he questioned, his eyebrows twitching. "Karin's the one with black hair, Yuzu's the one with orange hair." Toshiro nodded, and hopped onto the orange head's palm as he was taken to the bed.

"That movie, while ago, I never heard of it or watched it in my world." he admitted, resting his chin on his raised knees. "Well, to admit, after watching you for a short while, the only thing that makes you and me different is our size, but it doesn't exactly mean that what we have everything that you Fortes have." He scratched his cheek, and Ichigo got everything that he said.

"I see. Why do you keep calling me a Forte? I can say that, you call us 'giants' that term?" Toshiro nodded, feeling a little relieved that the Forte he met is not a stupid one. "In short, Fortes are people of your size while those as big as your thumb..." He lightly kicked the said finger. "... are Renes. But that's our one difference, and I already said that."

Ichigo set him on his lap, where Toshiro sat comfortably. Right now, he didn't know what else to say that would mostly be his last words to his new Forte friend. But he kept everything as normal as possible to treasure the moment.

Soon enough, after a few smiles, laughter and words, Ichigo went to sleep and Toshiro just watched him from afar, back on the desk before the orange head slept. Carefully, he jumped down without making a noise or injuring himself, and he hesitated to go back in the hole.

"Goodbye, Kurosaki. It's a shame, that it's only a short while." He went back in, using a small flashlight key chain to guide him back. Despite it being evening, he still watched out for the Guards and sometimes looked over his shoulder or looked at the farthest corners.

No one was there, and the only other sound aside from his footsteps were the rustling of the leaves. Every time, after ten to fifteen steps, he would turn around and look at the faint light that the hole gave from the larger moon in the Forte's world, but he didn't make a step back.

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><p>Ichigo quickly woke up and bathed the next day, and immediately remembered Toshiro. He went back to the desk and checked for him, but there was no one.<p>

He looked at the hole, and right now, he did not think about patching it back. "He had to return back to his world, obviously." Soon, the room became silent when he left for school, and he hoped that Toshiro would pop out so he would take him out.

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><p>Though the Rene never appeared, he still waited, even when it has been two weeks since. Right now, Rukia even went to the point of skipping school to nurse her brother, to keep him alive for longer. He hadn't heard from her ever since, as if her brother already died and she died as well.<p>

Everyone else busy, and so is he with homework, but being a good student he didn't have a problem and would always stay in his room doing nothing, hoping that Toshiro would come. Day after day, when nothing came out the hole, let alone a pest, he started to doubt what he saw and believed that it was a dream.

But at the same day that he slowly gave up, Toshiro mustered all the courage he needed to go back.

For the same time that he has been away, he couldn't help but look at the path that led to the Borderline when he would go to school or go home from school. Thanks to what happened, Inoue and he grew apart but would still eat lunch together and help each other in homework, but no more than that.

And, while ignoring his math lessons, he wanted to come back. But this time, he had to evade everybody else...

...and bring his family with him.


	5. New Plans in Store

**A/N: Sorry that it took a while but I got a little on a writer's block at this. But thanks for being patient enough to read the next chapter. My muse has come back.  
><strong>

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><p>Lucky enough, Inoue didn't go follow him around when class ended. He would tell his cousin and his dad, and his mom about his plan. But of course, he hoped they would agree. It wasn't like he hated his home and wanted a break from living there.<p>

He loved Miniterra and his life there. But he wanted someone else aside from him to know how fun the world of the Fortes are, even if he knows that not all are as kind as Ichigo. He really missed seeing and talking to the orange head, even if that happened just once.

Like a kid on a sugar rush he ran to his home and saw his niece Hinamori who was just cleaning the coffee table. He was glad to see her again after school, but the fact that she can't go with him because of having a very weak heart made his heart contract in pain out of pity and guilt.

"Welcome back, Shiro-chan." she smiled weakly and slumped on the couch with a sigh. He was about to remind her to not call him by that cheeky nickname but he knew that she's strained at the moment so he reconsidered.

She added, "How's school?" He replied, "As normal as ever. By the way, Hinamori..." Toshiro breathed deep, trying not to say it too sudden as to give her a heart attack and worsen her condition. "I have something to tell you that's big."

"Big as in..."

"Big." he shrugged in a matter-of-fact manner. "It's really huge and major." Breathing, she prepared herself for what he'll say. "We're also going to have to tell Father and Mother about this, but right now I'll say it to you first."

With a gulp he said it slowly and clearly, "I want you to go with me to the world of the Fortes." No matter how much he tried to make it easy and no matter how she kept herself calm, she was as shocked as hell that he reflexively handed her his water container that was half-full.

"Hahh... oh my God Shiro-chan, what are you thinking? You know that will get you killed?" He rolled his eyes as she sounded like Inoue, but in her case it's easier to tolerate. "I already evaded that possibility more than once."

Flabbergasted, water sprayed out her mouth and onto his face but he nonchalantly wiped it off with a handkerchief. "Are you telling me-" she choked, "... that you..."

With a cocky air around him, he answered her while feeling proud of himself, "That's right. I went to the Borderline and met a Forte. And you may think I'm crazy but he's kind, and has a family, like us. There's nothing that much different between us and them, except our size."

"So you're saying they have Guards?" she asked, trying to keep her cool. "That... I can't say. I've only been to one room of a Forte, and you should have seen how large they exactly are."

"To the point that they called you little?" he almost snapped but she was just assuming but not insulting him. "Well, he didn't mean it in a bad way."

"What's his name, by the way?" It bugged him that she suddenly turned calm but it was better. "Ichigo Kurosaki. Like me, his hair's naturally odd-colored."

Question after question, answer after answer, they were finally over just as they needed to cook dinner but the silverette offered to do it all himself.

While chopping up vegetables and tenderizing meat, he was surprised when Hinamori sneaked up behind him. At least he didn't cut his finger off. "You said that we'll tell Uncle Haruki and Aunt Akahana about you wanting to go to the Fortes' world again."

"Not now. I might spoil our dinner. After we eat, I'll tell them." he stated, sounding resolved and unafraid. "Shiro-chan, I'm glad that you got to see the other side of our world but you're endangering yourself again. Is it really worth it? Do you really want this?"

"I do. Because we've been in bad shape nowadays, and aside from doing risky things, I want to see us all happy like way back then. Nothing here seems to make it happen anymore."

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><p>Ichigo exclaimed in annoyance when he thought about that Rene. The thought had been in his head nonstop and he wanted to get off it already. Yes, he wanted to see him again, but it's been long since he last appeared.<p>

It had to be a dream. It definitely had to be.

The phone rang again, and he was surprised to see Rukia's number. Just when he flipped the device open, her voice spoke loudly that he thanked himself for not putting it near his ear. "_Ichigo! Sorry for not calling in a long while._"

"I can tell that you're taking care of Byakuya. So... are things getting any better for him?"

The next thing he knew, her voice became quiet and grim and he placed the phone closer. "_No. And it won't be. I've tried... and tried, Ichigo. But it's no use. The only thing I can do is keep him alive for a little longer. Can... you... come here? I'm sure he would be glad in seeing you too._"

"I doubt it. The last time I saw him, he was glaring at me."

"_Hehe. No, he doesn't hate you. In fact, he told me that he liked you for being there for me when I need it, because he could no longer do that himself... So please... just visit while... Nii-sama's still breathing._"

Before he made his answer, he looked at the hole and sighed. "Okay. Let me just lock up the house and leave the keys under the mat."

"_Sure._"

* * *

><p>"Toshiro! You're serious?" His mother never raised her voice, but she did now. "I'm serious, Mother. I want you to see their world. It's not like how others would describe it. I mean, I'm sure that there are bad people in their world to but this Forte that I met is very nice. And we're not going to live there. We're just going to go sightseeing around the place for a while."<p>

And yet, something in his heart told him that he had to leave Miniterra forever.

"I..." His father was speechless and couldn't say anything, more so when he saw the determination and the bright light in Toshiro's pure green eyes that would rarely shine.

But then, Toshiro realized how much outspoken he was to not give them space for easing themselves to talk about it calmly and he retreated to his room. They just sat on the cheap but soft sofa, to think about all he said.

The young silverette really wanted to go back, though no one understood him, not even his knack for doing things as dangerous as climbing a mountain or walking on a rope.

Toshiro just stayed in his room for the whole evening but he didn't sleep and waited until it was midnight, then he took a caffeinated drink with him before going for the door but a hand gripped his wrist tightly but not painfully. "Wait."

Turning around, he saw Hinamori who was clearly awake as well, and had a small knapsack hanging on her back. "Let me go too. I know that they're not yet decided, mostly because you told them all of a sudden, but you can still take me with you."

No words were needed to say yes, as he grabbed her wrist and both walked out the house while silently locking the door.

Both walked hand in hand, fearing that one word would awaken the entire village.

* * *

><p>Preparing night-vision goggles, one of the Guards that blended well with the dark bushes watched the area saw two moving figures from afar walking closer to the Borderline.<p>

"Boss, I see two people heading here. I think they're the runaways."

"_But you said two weeks ago that there's only one._"

"Then maybe he or she have some company today. Should we use it on them?"

"_Very well. It would be interesting to know through them if the Fortes' world is as dangerous as it is claimed to be._" A calm, velvet voice spoke on the earphone, and the Guard complied before hanging up. On his hands, a device that children would mistake as a weird-looking gun started to charge.


End file.
